Yasuteru Urano (The University of Tokyo)

Professor Yasuteru Urano has developed novel fluorescent probes based on the original idea of intramolecular spirocyclization and precise molecular design principle in live-cell imaging, which is one of the most important technologies in the current biological and medical fields. With these probes, he has achieved innovative and unrivaled results, including demonstrating the dynamics of the formation of skeletal structure in living cells by utilizing super-resolution imaging technology ahead of the rest of the world. It is also noteworthy that dozens of fluorescent probes developed by Dr. Urano have already been marketed at home and abroad, greatly contributing to global biological and medical research. In addition, Dr. Urano, in the belief that chemistry is practical science, has also worked on the development of fluorescent probes that can be used in clinical setting and recently succeeded in developing an epoch-making spray probe technology capable of intraoperative visualization of microcarcinoma, paving the way for practical application. Dr. Urano has developed numerous fluorescent probes from the original viewpoint from basics to applications and has led the way in their practical application.